---
Naosuke was smashed into the wall, blood spilling from his mouth as he cried out, "Waaaaaah!" Before long, he howled in pain and collapsed into unconsciousness.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"You dare act without evidence against a prodigy of our clan?!"
"You will pay for this, woman!"
Elder Tsunayoshi's words dripped with hostility. He was trying to intimidate Kaede for her actions. He knew he could fight her if he had to, but hesitation kept him in place.
"Shadow Binding Jutsu!"
He poured his chakra into the floor, his shadow stretching out until it coiled around Kaede, restraining her before she could advance toward the unconscious Naosuke.
"Your clansmen lack manners," Kaede spat, glaring even while bound.
"You really think your clan is comparable to the Uchiha? Tell me, what makes the Nara so special—aside from being nothing more than 'loyal dogs' to the Sarutobi clan?"
Her voice cut like steel, and the elders flinched at her words.
"You're proud of this jutsu of yours, aren't you? Then watch closely, and I'll show you why it will never be enough."
Shikaku's calm expression finally cracked. He couldn't allow this to go any further. If Kaede killed one of the elders, it would destroy the clan's honor.
"Please, stop this," he urged, his voice trembling as he fought to keep his dignity.
Kaede could feel every eye in the room fixed on her now. The Nara clan's shadow technique bound her tightly, but she still had one thing that could break it.
"Divine Dog"
From her shadow, two massive wolves emerged, stepping into the light. Their glowing eyes burned with primal fury, and their bared fangs dripped with menace.
Elder Tsunayoshi's eyes widened in disbelief. He had heard rumors of her summons, but he had always dismissed them as lies.
"Now!" Kaede commanded.
The wolves lunged, but just before their fangs tore into flesh, the elders vanished.
"That was close," Shikaku muttered. He already knew who had saved them at the last instant.
Kaede narrowed her eyes. She had heard whispers about the Fourth Hokage's teleportation, but seeing it with her own eyes confirmed it. She wasn't surprised—after all, he was the student of one of the Legendary Sannin.
"Ahem…"
A calm yet firm voice filled the room. The Third Hokage entered with the rest of the Konoha Council.
"Can someone explain what's going on here?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, his sharp gaze sweeping across the scene.
"This evil woman tried to kill us, Lord Third!" Tsunayoshi cried, his voice dripping with false victimhood.
Hiruzen's eyes shifted toward Kaede. "Is this true?"
But what caught his attention wasn't her answer—it was the wolves standing at her side. His brows furrowed. He couldn't sense a drop of chakra from them.
"You should submit yourself for interrogation by the Anbu," Danzo cut in quickly, seizing the moment to learn more about her mysterious summons.
Kaede's cold eyes turned to him. She sneered at the bandaged man who hid half his face.
"Are you the Hokage? No? Then shut your mouth and let the old man speak."
"What?!"
Gasps rippled across the room. No one had ever spoken to Danzo like that—but no one dared interfere without Hiruzen's command.
"Why did you do this?" the Third Hokage asked. His face was composed, but inside, fury simmered.
"That chunin—Naosuke—was in charge of training the next generation of our clan," Kaede said, her voice sharp as a blade. "He broke my son's bones just because the boy was acting cocky. Do you think I'll sit back and watch my child be treated like trash?"
Hiruzen didn't like the way she addressed him. He was ready to place all the blame on Danzo if she brought up the massacre of her squad.
"We should allow the Nara clan to resolve this matter in their own way," Hiruzen said at last, eager to defuse the tension. "Shikaku, the punishment is in your hands."
"She will have to beg us if she wants to remain in this clan," Tsunayoshi sneered.
"That's right! Nothing less will appease us. She will kneel before us and beg!" another elder chimed in.
"As clan head, I order you to apologize to the elders immediately," Shikaku added, hoping to avoid bloodshed.
"Huh?" Kaede's cold voice cut through the room.
"Are you going to disobey the clan head—your husband's own brother?" Tsunayoshi pressed, trying to drive a wedge between them.
Kaede's glare turned to Shikaku. "Who are you to order me around?" she said icily.
"What?! Are you not afraid of being expelled from the clan—along with your son?" Elder Kahuro shouted, unable to hold back any longer.
Kaede turned her gaze toward him, her voice like venom. "That's why I came here in the first place—because this garbage had the audacity to call my son a bastard." She jabbed her finger toward Tsunayoshi and Tomonori.
Shikaku's heart sank. He realized now—Kaede had come not to reconcile, but to request separation from the clan. But he couldn't allow her to take Megumi and poison the boy against his heritage.
"You cannot make this decision for Megumi," Shikaku argued. "Let him decide for himself. He is my brother's son—he has every reason to remain in the Nara household."
Kaede narrowed her eyes. She understood his game. "Like I said—I make the decisions for my son. Not you, not your elders. None of you have any right to decide his life."
Shikaku clenched his jaw.
"How about we allow Lord Fourth to decide custody of the boy?" he suggested, turning the pressure toward Minato.
All eyes turned to the Hokage. Minato's calm blue eyes swept across the tension-filled room.
"Ahem… How about this? We wait until the boy wakes up—then let him make his decision," Minato said, diffusing the standoff.
"Fine by me," Kaede replied. At her command, the two wolves sank back into her shadow, vanishing as though they had never been there. She left without another word.
---
Later that evening, in the Hokage's office…
"Sarutobi, you allowed her to disrespect you in front of everyone!" Danzo roared.
Hiruzen slammed his hand on the table. "This is your fault! You failed to handle her during that mission, and now you want to blame me?" His anger erupted, shocking the entire room.
Danzo and the others froze. They had never seen the Third Hokage unleash such fury.
"Everyone calm down," Koharu interjected, her voice slicing through the tension.
"Hiruzen, you should let Danzo handle her," Homura added.
"Do whatever you want," Hiruzen said coldly. "But hear me now—if you fail again, I won't hesitate to strip you of everything."
The Third Hokage turned his back on them and left the room in silence.